Inking mechanism -for plate-printing machines



0. ROESEN.

' INKING MECHANISNI FUN PLATE PRINTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. I0. 1915.

Pafend JuIy I, 1919.

ENVE NTO R @M m l A'rmws.

lulllllllllllllllllm dii UNiTED STATES PATENT omnes.

OSCR ROESEN, 0F NEW' YORK, N. Y.,AASSIGNLOR T0 R. HOE ANI) C0., OF NEW YORK, N.,Y., A CORPORATION OIF NEW YORK.

INKING MECHANISM FOR PLATE-PRINTING MACHINES.

'llOSqllL Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led November 10, 1915. Serial No. 60,653.

for Plate-Printing Machines, fully described,

and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same. y

This invention relates to certain improvements in plate printing machines.

In plate printing machines the printing is done from a flat-plate or other surface by means of depressed lines, the surface of the plate being inked and the surplus ink being wiped from that part of the plate in which there are no lines. This removal of the ink is effected by wipers which are usually in the form of rolls of cloth which are gradually renewed by suitable feeding mechanism. ln machines of thistype the inking mechanism is made wide enough to ink a plate of the maximum size that will be used.v ln a great` many instances, however, lplates narrower than the maximum size have to be inked, which causes an unnecessary waste of ink. Theink used in this class of machines is' eX- pensive, and, furthermore, the wipers are expensive. i

lt is the object of the present invention to provide an inking mechanism for this typei of machines whereby the ink in the ink fountain may have its position shifted or varied longitudinally of the -distribnter which' distributes the ink from the fountain, so that this distributer may distribute a narrower or wider band or ribbon of ink, depending upon the width of the design on the plate which is to be inked, thus effecting an econ'- omy of ink* and of the wipers, in that the wipers do not have a surplus of ink to wipe or clean from the plate, where thereiis no design.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is an end elevation, partly in section, showing the ink fountain and the distributing devices;

F ig. 2 is a side View, partly-in section, of a portion of the construction shown in Fig. l, showing the mechanism for effecting the movement of the ink, and

Fig. 3 is a top view, partly broken away,

of the mechanism for operating the cons struction shown in Fig. l. y

Referring now to these drawings, the invention is illustrated in connection with a plate printing machine in which the plates are flat plates and are reciprocated beneath 'the inking mechanism. This inking meeha 'nism 1n the particular construction includes an ink fountain indicated generally by the numeral 1, open at the'bott-om, which supplies ink to the distributing mechanism for inking the plate.' This distributing mecha nism may be widely varied, but in Vthe preferfe'd construction includes a fountain roll 2 and a distributing roll 8 suitably mounted in the frame 4. ln thc particular distributing mechanism shown, the roll 2 runs under the open end ofthe fountain, and it and the distributing roll 3 are of sufiicicnt dimensions toink a design of the maximum width for which the press is adapted.

Thefconstruetion of the ink fountain l may be of any usual type. ln the particular construction illustrated-it includes a front and rear wall 5, (i, respectively, and ends 7, the ends 7. being united by a top frame 8. As is usual in fountain construction` the front-and rear walls beneath which ink is delivered t0 the distributing mechanism are capable of lm'utedvertlcal adjustment for delivering variable quantities of ink through the usual` adjusting devices 9.

lin machines embodying the invention in its `preferred form, there will be provided means'whereby the 'ink lin the fountain mayY beso manipulated as to cause the fountain to ldeliver to the distributer a narronf'er or wider column of ink as required for the particular desigmthe rest of the distributor' y receiving no ink. While these means may be somewhat varied, in the best constructions the fountain will be provided `with a pair of movable members which can be moved longitudinally of the cylinder and between which and the front and back walls of the fountain the ink is confined, so that by moving these members the ink will be expanded or contracted, that is, will be so manipulated as to have its position with respect to the roll varied so that a wider or narrower column will be delivered. ln the particular construction illustrated these movable members are partitions 10, 11, which extend the width of the fountain, and of suflicient height to confine between them a sufiicient quantity of Patented July i, 1919. i

ink. When the distributer to which ink is delivered is a roll, the lower edges of the partitions will, as shown, be curved to conform to the surface of the roll.

.These partitions may be supported and given a movement longitudinally of the cylinder .in any suitable manner. In the particular construction Iillustrated, they are provided at their upper ends with threaded extensions 12 into which takes a. left and right hand screw 13 mounted in cross arms 11 arried in standards 15 supported on frame 8, before referred to. This screw is manipulated by a hand wheel 16, by the movement of which in one direction or the other the plates can be drawn toward each other or separated, thus either contracting the body of ink and confining its delivery to a narrower surface of the cylinder, or expanding it and causing it to deliver to a wider surface. If necessary or desired the bottoms of the plates may be grooved and a suitable packing 17 `may be inserted in the grooves contacting with, the surface of the cylinder so as to prevent leakage around the lower edges of the plates at the cylinder.

IVhile the invention has been shown and described in 'its preferred form, it will be understood that various changes may be made in the particular construction for lcylinder curvature, end walls, a top frame uniting the end walls, standards rising from `the top `frame, cross arms carried by the standards, a right and left hand screw shaft supported in the cross arms, partitionsl in the fountain above the distributing cylinder and in contact therewith between which the ink is confined supported from the screw shaft, and a hand wheel supported from the screw shaft between the partitions for operating the shaft to move the partitions toward and from each other to vary the width of the ink column delivered to the cylinder.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, 1n the presence ot two subscribing witnesses.

- OSCAR ROESEN. Vitnesses RICHARD KELLY, c HAROLD Ma TILLINGHAST. 

